Always There
by Anna De La Fere
Summary: A sequel of "The Devil Within" requested by Godzilla 183. Enjoy and don't forget to leave reviews.


"Oh, come on, Tina, stop sulking!"

"I'm not sulking, Jamie".

"Yes, you are. It's not my fault that the teacher liked my project more than yours".

"You could have told her that it was my project!"

"Why? It took me 5 days to complete it. Besides, you didn't like my idea at all".

"Still you should have helped me. That's what friends are for". – Tina said, crossing her arms over her chest, looking at Jamie pointedly.

"Rachel says…" – Jamie began but Tina cut her off with rather a high-pitched scream:

"I don't care what Rachel says! She doesn't know everything!" – She fumed, breath uneven.

"But…" – Jamie tried again, slightly frightened by her friend's sudden outburst. Again, Tina raised a hand to stop her, eyes burning with anger and a glimpse of something Jamie could only name as hatred.

"You know what? It's impossible to be friends with someone like you! I don't even know why I ever agreed to be your friend. You are the most unreliable person I know! You've always been jealous of my appearance and intelligence, that's why you didn't help me. Raising marks in the teacher's eyes, are we?" – She added sarcastically, a dark chuckle escaping her lips.

"No, it's not like that…" – Jamie tried to assure her desperately but in vain.

"Save it, Jamie. I don't even know why I am wasting my precious time with someone like you".

"I think it will be better for both of us if…"

"There's no us anymore! I'll find better friends who will always help me no matter what. Goodbye!" – With that she went off, muttering something incoherent under her breath.

Jamie stood there quite bewildered for a good ten minutes, her mind trying to comprehend everything that had happened. Obviously, winning Tina's heart would cost more than she could afford. Apart from that, who would even need a snake like her? Surely, she couldn't deny the fact she was a bit sad for losing her best friend but after musing thoroughly about it all, she concluded it would be better if she stayed away from Tina. Jamie could live without her anyway.

"Well, who needs her". - Jamie muttered and continued walking in the cold wind, enjoying the sound of it ringing in her ears. The winter was rather chilly, covering the ground with a thick blanket of snow. She loved snow and she loved winter. However, despite being thoroughly clothed, the cold air still sent shivers through her spine, prompting her to snuggle into her warm coat.

* * *

Jamie was already quite near her house when she felt someone was following her. Turning around, she found the street empty. No sign of people. Well, who would want to leave their warm homes and go out in such cold weather? Shrugging the feeling off, she continued walking but a moment later noticed a shadow disappearing behind a large tree. Burning with curiosity, she walked slowly towards the tree, making sure to take soundless steps. A few seconds later which felt like forever for Jamie, she reached the tree and was about to peek behind it when something large collided with her body, making her stumble back and embrace the ground.

"Ouch!" – She groaned, checking her limbs for possible injuries, letting out a sigh of relief upon finding them fine. Jamie was about to stand up when a shadow appeared in front of her, a large hand extended towards her. Not daring to move too quickly, Jamie slowly traveled her eyes upwards, sliding her gaze from his legs to his upper torso, eventually setting on his face. Her eyes widened for a second but she recovered quickly and grabbed the offered hand, already visibly relaxed.

"Oh, it's you!" – She exclaimed, glancing at the tall figure in front of her.

"Do you remember me?" – She asked hopefully. – "We met last year. You saved me from bad kids. It was Halloween, remember?" – She asked again, smiling up at him shyly. She couldn't help but marvel at how big he looked next to her. Despite the mask he was wearing, Jamie noticed a glimpse of recognition in his eyes, followed by a barely visible nod of his head.

"Why didn't you come to my house? I was actually waiting for you". – She frowned, disappointment evident in her voice. Michael merely shrugged in response, his piercing gaze fixed on her.

"It's ok, you don't need to be shy. I'll always welcome you with open arms. After all, you are my savior". – She added the last part shyly, cheeks flushing. Michael raised an eyebrow at her, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards slightly.

"You are wearing the same clothes". – Jamie said a moment later, finally paying some heed to his appearance. – "But why? It's not Halloween yet".

Michael, of course, didn't answer, just kept staring at her, his hand hovering over his belt, fingers brushing lightly against the butcher knife there. Should he kill her? It would be pretty easy considering the fact that the street was empty. He could slice her throat and hide her body in his house where he usually hid his victims. However, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he flinched slightly, trying not to think about it. He couldn't kill her now. Not when her presence was so comforting, calming his nerves down.

"Well, who cares about that! Come, let's sit on that bench. I would really love to talk to you". – Before Michael could protest, she grabbed his hand and led him to the nearest bench, smiling when he sat down without any resistance.

They sat in silence for a while, lost in thoughts. Michael's gaze remained glued to the sky above them while Jamie tried to collect her thoughts. She felt strangely safe with him despite the fact that she hardly knew him.

"You know". – She said, putting a hand on his knee. Michael tensed under her touch but it went unnoticed by Jamie. – "I lost my best friend today." – She whispered sadly, lowering her eyes to hide the hot tears finally escaping her eyes. Michael shot her a sideways glance, not knowing what to do. Her hand remained on his knee while he tried his best not to make an attempt to remove it. Eventually Jamie started sniffling audibly, her breath quickening a bit.

"She told me I wasn't worth being her friend". – She sobbed quietly, resting her hands on her lap. – "But I haven't done anything wrong, I swear!" – She sniffled again, wiping her nose with her sleeve – "Was it my fault that our teacher liked my project more than hers?" – A pair of wide, hopeful eyes settled on his face. Michael suddenly felt an incredible amount of hatred for the girl who had dared to make his niece sad. He would gladly bathe his knife with her blood had he known her address. Well, it would be no problem. He could deal with it later. Right now he had another and more important problem to solve. Michael knew he had to do something, had to reassure her it wasn't her fault but he remained unmoving, unable to find the solution.

Jamie continued to sob quietly, hands fisting in the hem her coat. She was about to wipe her face when she felt someone's rough fingers brushing against her both cheeks, wiping the salty waterfall away as gently as he could. She could feel the hesitation, almost shyness in his movements. It was clear he had never comforted anyone before and was trying his best to be careful with her, calculating his pressure to avoid hurting her. Finally done with his task, Michael slowly removed his hands from her cheeks, his gaze never leaving hers. Jamie could tell he was still unsure, mentally debating if he had done everything right. Sensing his struggle, she gave him a reassuring smile, putting her tiny hand atop his large one, heart swelling with satisfaction when he didn't tense under her touch and was even surprised when Michael covered her hand with his other one, calloused fingers brushing against her tender skin. She smiled at him again, eyes twinkling with something the killer couldn't name yet but he could tell it was comforting. Her gaze was warm, beautiful eyes boring straight into his dark ones, as if searching for something.

"Thank you". – She whispered.

Michael felt a warm tingle in his heart upon hearing her words. With a light nod, he squeezed her hand gently, earning a wide grin from her.

"Oh, by the way". – Jamie exclaimed suddenly, startling Michael. – "I believe if we are going to be friends we must know each other's names but I don't remember you telling me yours".

Michael opened his mouth to give her a reply but then promptly closed. Jamie knew he couldn't talk and he would like it to remain so. Instead he just shrugged and shook his head.

"Oh, right, you can't talk". – Jamie recalled with a frown. Then she pulled her bag on her lap and started rummaging in it. A few moments later she pulled out a notebook along with a pen and placed them in Michael's lap, gazing at him expectantly. The killer hesitated a bit but eventually grabbed the offered items and started writing his name on the sheet. The awkward, clumsy movements of his hands and the way he was holding the pen left the little girl wondering if he had ever written a thing in his life. Yet she waited patiently, making sure to plaster a pleasant smile on her face. She didn't want him to feel ashamed for anything.

Michael finished his task and handed her the notebook, trying his best to avoid touching her fingers. Jamie stared at the paper with a slight frown. His handwriting was so bad that the girl was sure it could take her forever to read it. With a sigh, she tried her luck.

"M… Mi…" – She muttered, brows furrowed. – "Mic… Micha… Michael!" – She exclaimed triumphantly as if she would win a prize for that. Michael nodded quietly, waiting for her next move.

"Nice to meet you properly, Michael. I am glad we are friends". – Jamie smiled, extending her hand. Michael tensed a bit but reached out anyway, trapping her tiny hand in his large one and shaking it gently.

They sat in silence for another five minutes until an idea flashed in Jamie's mind.

"How about we make a snowman?" – Jamie exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. Michael looked at her silently, clearly not expecting such question. He had never built a snowman in his life. Well, how could he? Mommy and Daddy had always been too busy to spend time with him, Judith would usually spend all her time with her boyfriend while he himself was completely friendless. Therefore, he had lost the interest in making a snowman. Probably because he didn't want to do it alone. He wanted someone to be beside him, help him or praise his work when he was done. With his family, it was impossible, so he chose to ignore the children's stuff and live in his own world. At least, his imaginary friends would keep him company.

"Come on, you'll like it". – Jamie encouraged, sensing his discomfort. Grabbing his hand, she led him to the snow-covered field, located near their bench. It was a perfect place to build a snowman. Upon reaching Jamie started collecting as much snow as she could in her tiny hands while Michael just stood there, watching her, clearly not daring to move without her next instruction.

"Now, listen", - She said. – "You must make three balls, ok? All of them must be perfectly round. The first one is the biggest one, then comes the middle one and finally the smallest one for the head. You must put them on top of one another so that it looks like a human's torso, got it? Then we must use sticks to make the snowman's arms and place a carrot where his nose should be. After that we have to use stones as eyes and mouth (Even suit buttons, if you wish to add that too) and place a scarf on its neck along with a hat. Easy". – She encouraged happily. Michael blinked rapidly, trying to contain the new information in his brain. Eventually he nodded and stepped towards her, ready to help.

"Good. The first ball is ready. Can you make the middle one while I make the last?" – She asked, gesturing at her large round ball. The killer nodded and proceed to do what she wanted from him. It appeared to be an easy task. He was done nearly two minutes later and was about to show her his work when he felt something cold in the back of his head. Spinning on his heels he found Jamie standing a few feet away from him with a sly grin on her face. He watched with confused eyes as she made a tiny ball and positioned herself to throw it at him, her eyes fixed on his. Michael had a second to brace himself before it landed straight on his face, making him shudder a bit. Shrugging the snow off, he slowly knelt on the ground, hands roaming in the white mass beneath his feet. A second later he was holding rather a large ball in his hand, ready to strike.

"Oh, no, no, no…" – Jamie exclaimed, sensing what was coming but it was too late. Soon she found herself sprawled on the ground with snow plastered all over her clothes and face.

"Well, that was something". – She muttered but smiled when she noticed Michael offering his hand to her.

They continued their snow-fight session for about fifteen minutes and after that eventually managed to build a snowman. Then Jamie's stomach grumbled loudly, startling them both.

"Oops, I guess I am a bit hungry". – She smiled.

Michael watched as she made her way to the bench and sat down, her hands digging in her bag again to pull out two sandwiches and a bottle of water. Grinning happily, Jamie took a bite and started chewing, too busy to notice Michael's fingers hovering over his belt.

The Boogeyman watched his niece eating, her attention focused entirely on the food. He couldn't help but admire her innocence. The poor kid was completely unaware of the danger she was in. Instead she dug in her meal happily, sure and confident she would wake up the next day, go to school and spend her evening cuddled with Rachel. She would and they both knew that.

"Why aren't you eating? Come on, it is enough for both of us". – Jamie called, noticing for the first time he wasn't beside her. – "Come, sit. You must be hungry". Michael sat down but refused to eat the offered meal.

"Oh, come on, it's tasty. Staying hungry is bad for one's organism. It makes us weak so we don't have the energy to play, study or spend the day according to our plans anymore". – Jamie explained. Her tone clearly suggested she cared about him and didn't want his stomach to remain empty. Michael felt that warm tingle in his heart once again but ignored it, eyes settling on the untouched sandwich".

"It won't bite you, you know?" – The little girl chuckled at the look Michael was giving the food. As if he was afraid to touch it.

"Come on, don't be shy. I certainly won't be happy if you starve yourself to death". – She pressed on.

Michael cast one last glance towards her before grabbing the sandwich, lifting up his mask just enough to reveal his mouth and cautiously taking a small bite. He sat frozen for a moment, the full bite still stuck in his mouth, familiar and foreign all at once. He couldn't recall the last time he ate proper meal, so he was kind of savoring the feeling.

"Is it good?" – Jamie's voice shook his thoughts away. He nodded and started chewing, admiring the food with his taste buds.

"I am glad you like it". – The girl chuckled, chewing her own bite.

When they were both done, Jamie grabbed her bag and stood up, a hint of sadness evident in her eyes.

"I guess I need to go now or Rachel will be worried". – She said with a sad smile. Michael looked at her for a moment, envying the girl who had the opportunity to spend as much time with Jamie as she wanted. The killer suddenly found himself wishing to be a part of his niece's life so badly that it shook him to the core. Jamie would grow up having no clue about her real family, too busy with her sickeningly happy life to focus her attention on anything else. The thought of it made his stomach churn.

"Thank you for your company. I had a great time". – He heard her warm voice again and had a second to brace himself before Jamie threw her arms around him, squeezing him with all her might. Michael froze under her touch, his entire body tensing, a hand instinctively reaching for his belt but halting in the mid-way. Instead, he slowly wrapped his arms around her in return, rubbing her back. Jamie moved her hands to shift them from his stomach to his neck and gasped when they touched his cold skin.

"Your neck is freezing!" – She exclaimed. Michael merely blinked at her and hugged her again, clearly enjoying her warmth.

"Wait, wait". – Jamie wriggled away from his grasp. The killer frowned at her, brows knitting together in confusion under his mask. Didn't she like his hug? It was weird, considering the fact that she was the first one to start it.

Meanwhile the little girl pulled out a long blue scarf from her bag, gliding her fingers across the soft fabric, a sad smile appearing on her face. Reaching out, she carefully put it on his neck, making sure to cover every nook and cranny of his exposed neck.

"It was my father's favorite scarf". – She said. – "When he died, my foster parents allowed me to keep one thing that belonged to him. I chose this. It still smells a bit like him, so whenever I miss him, I wrap it around me, imagining it to be his arms. Now it's yours". – She whispered. The Boogeyman felt quite uncomfortable. It was the only thing she had gotten as a reminder of her father and he truly had no heart to take it from her. Sensing his hesitation, Jamie put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Please, don't say no. I wasn't able to thank you properly then but now I got the chance. Whenever you miss me, just look at it or wrap it around you. Just know that no matter what, I'll always be there for you. The only thing I want in return is to remember me. You won't forget me, will you?" – She asked, a bit scared of his answer. To her relief, Michael shook his head vigorously, snuggling his neck further into the soft fabric which smelt like Jamie. He allowed himself a small smile under his mask, eyes twinkling. Jamie smiled and leaned in to press a light kiss on his masked cheek, failing to notice his flushing cheeks.

"Goodbye, Michael, thanks for making my day. I'm sure we'll meet again". – With one last smile, she went off, leaving him lost in his thoughts.

Very slowly, Michael moved his hand and placed it on his cheek, brushing his fingers against the spot where Jamie's lips had landed.

Perhaps having a friend wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
